A seat cover acts as a barrier between your car’s factory seats and anything that happens in them, from spilled coffee to pet hair. Most are easy to clean, and a good-looking set can reduce the depreciation of your vehicle’s interior and help it get a higher selling price when you’re ready to move on.
The quality of a car seat cover depends on several factors, such as fabric abrasion resistance, strength and stretch, and how the cover is sewn together. Abrasion on protruding parts and corners of the cover is often worse than on the seat surface itself. This is due to the fact that the cover is thicker at these points, and it is subjected to a larger load than the seat itself. This can lead to a loss of elasticity, and it can also result in the formation of defects, such as thread ripping (Fig. 1).
The most popular seat covers are made of cloth, and some have a waterproof coating. These are especially useful for people who spend a lot of time in the rain, or as a replacement for faded leather seats. Some covers are custom designed to fit specific seats, but many have a universal design that fits most vehicles, like the highly rated Oasis Auto Faux Leather Seat Covers with 1,600 five-star reviews on Amazon. They feature a simple, fast installation and come in black, beige, and gray with red piping. The fabric is stain-resistant and water-repellent, and the covers are airbag compatible.